Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 7 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.88 · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
She languisheth, she moans for help, she wails her froward fate, And all the house an Echo makes resounding her estate. Lo headlong to and fro she hies, and running still about Goes mumbling, and the secrets of her mind she mutters out: Oh Iuno Spouse to Ioue, what part of heaven soever thou keep, Raise up some savage beast, against lewd Hercules to creep, That I shall think sufficient: If any cumbrous snake With breeding he do crawl, more big in alt the slimy lake, That may not take a foil: or if that ought do yet remain, So ugsome, grisly, cursed, and grim, so fraught with filthy bain, That he may loath to look thereon, that may his sight appaule. Undo their Dens, from hideous holes procure such vermin crawl. Or if that fiends can none be found, then couture thou my ghost To what thou list: this soul of mine can welt abide the most: Some uncouth shape, some ghastly face, such one bestow on me, Whereby the horror of my pangs may countervailed be. My boiling breast cannot conceive the vengeance, I would try: Why searchest thou the corners far, of lands aloof that lie? And turnst the world thus upside down? why seekst thou harm of hell? To trance him, furious fiends enough within this breast do dwell: Make me thine instrument of hate: his stepdame I will be, And thou mayest work the overthrow of Hercules by me: appoint my hand to any thing. Why dost thou make delay? Use thou my frenzy, as the means to compass his decay. The mischief shall be brought to pass, whatever thou wilt crave: Why stand ye musing still thereon? contrived all I have: Thou mayst forbear thy malice now: thy rancour shall suffice, To bring this wretch unto his end, myself can well devise. My Foster gyile, of raving mind, these dreary plaints assuage, Forbear this heat, and bridle yet the rigour of thy rage: Behave thyself for such an one, as men may worthy judge The noble Spouse of Hercules. Shall Iole (slavish drudge) Bring bastard brethren to my Babes? of her that is a slave Shall Iupiter the God of heaven forsooth a daughter have? The flashing flames, and fighting floods shall toyne together first. The northern bear to Marble seas shall stoop to quench his thirst. Yea vengeance, vengeance, will I have, though on thy back thou wield The boisterous heavens, and all the world do peace unto thee yield: There is a thing shall sting thee worse than Hydra hissing Snake, The corsie cursed of angry Wife. Doth any fiery Flake Upthrowed from Aetna's boiling Forge, so souse the beaten skies? More than all things that thou hast daunt, my ghost shall thee aggrise. Shall thou prefer a servile Trull before thy wedded Wife? For fear of many monsters more I tendered still thy life, And now for to increase my care. I see no monsters lurk,
seed 43: T17 · seed 44: T19 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Shee languiſheth, ſhee moanes for helpe, ſhee wayles her froward fate, And all the houſe an Echo makes reſounding her eſtate. Loe headlong to and froe ſhee hies, and running ſtill about Goes mumbling, and the ſecrets of her minde ſhee mutters out: Oh Iuno Spouſe to Ioue, what part of heauen ſoeuer thou keepe, Rayſe vp ſome ſaluage beaſt, agaynſt lewde Hercules to creepe, That I ſhall thinke ſufficient: If any combrous ſnake With breeding hee doe craule, more big in alt the ſlimy lake, That may not take a foyle: or if that ought doe yet remayne, So ougſome, griſely, curſt, and grim, ſo fraught with filthy bayne, That hee may loathe to looke thereon, that may his ſight appaule. Vndoe their Dennes, from hydeous hoales procure ſuch vermin craule. Or if that flendes can none befounde, then couture thou my ghoſt To what thou tſt: this ſoule of myne can welt abyde the moſt: Some vucouth ſhape, ſome gaſtly face, ſuch one beſtow on mee, Whereby the horrour of my pangues may counteruayled bee. My boyling breaſt cannot conceaue the vengeaunce, I woulde trye: Why ſercheſt thou the corners farre, of landes aloofe that lye? And turnſt y• world thus vpſide downe? why ſeekſt thou harme of hell? To traunce him, furious flirndes enough within this breaſt doe dwell: Make me thyne inſtrument of hate: his ſtepdame I will bee, And thou mayeſt worke the ouerthrow of Hercules by mee: Appoynct my hand to any thing. Why doſt thou make delay? Vſe thou my frenſy, as the meanes to compaſſe his decay. The miſchiefe ſhall be brought to paſſe, what euer thou wilt craue: Why ſtande yee muſing ſtill thereon? contriued all I haue: Thou mayſt forbeare thy mallice now: thy rancour ſhall ſuffice, To bryng this wretche vnto his ende, my ſelfe can well deuiſe. My Foſter gyile, of rauing mynde, theſe dreary playnts aſſwage, Forbeare this heate, and brydell yet the rigour of thy rage: Behaue thy ſelfe for ſuch an one, as men may worthy iudge The noble Spouſe of Hercules. Shall Iole (ſlauiſh drudge) Bring baſterd brethren to my Babes? of her that is a ſlaue Shall Iupiter the God of heauen forſooth a daughter haue? The flaſhing flames, and fighting floodes ſhall toyne togeather firſt. The northern beare to Marble ſeas ſhall ſtoupe to quench his thyrſt. Yea vengeounce, vengeance, will I haue, though on thy back thou wyeld The boyſteous heauens, and all the worlde doe peace vnto thee yelde: There is a thing ſhall ſtinge thee worſe then Hydra hiſſing Snake, The corſey curſt of angry Wyfe. Doth any firy Flake Vpthrowne from Etnas boyling Foarge, ſo ſowſe the beaten ſkyes? More then all things that thou haſt daunt, my ghoſt ſhall thee aggryſe. Shall thou prefer a ſeruill Trull before thy wedded Wyfe? For feare of many monſters more I tendred ſtill thy lyfe, And now for to encreaſe my care. I ſee no monſters lurke,